2016/01/08

2016 01 07 Bisexuality and pansexuality on the rise, says new U.S. survey

Bisexuality and pansexuality on the rise, says new U.S. survey

By Carina Storrs, Special to CNN

Updated 1902 GMT (0302 HKT) January 7, 2016

8 photos:What's a pansexual?

Hide Caption

5 of 8

8 photos:What's a pansexual?

Hide Caption

6 of 8

8 photos:What's a pansexual?

Hide Caption

7 of 8

8 photos:What's a pansexual?

Hide Caption

8 of 8

8 photos:What's a pansexual?

The word "pansexual" has been gaining currency culturally, with Google searches for the term trending highly since Miley Cyrus used it to describe herself in July. It's one of several terms people are increasingly using to codify their sexual orientation or gender. These definitions, which have been edited, are from the LGBTQ advocacy group The Trevor Project. Visit the site for more details.

Hide Caption

1 of 8

8 photos:What's a pansexual?

Hide Caption

2 of 8

8 photos:What's a pansexual?

Hide Caption

3 of 8

8 photos:What's a pansexual?

Hide Caption

4 of 8

8 photos:What's a pansexual?

Hide Caption

5 of 8

8 photos:What's a pansexual?

Hide Caption

6 of 8

8 photos:What's a pansexual?

Hide Caption

7 of 8

8 photos:What's a pansexual?

Hide Caption

8 of 8

8 photos:What's a pansexual?

The word "pansexual" has been gaining currency culturally, with Google searches for the term trending highly since Miley Cyrus used it to describe herself in July. It's one of several terms people are increasingly using to codify their sexual orientation or gender. These definitions, which have been edited, are from the LGBTQ advocacy group The Trevor Project. Visit the site for more details.

Hide Caption

1 of 8

8 photos:What's a pansexual?

Hide Caption

2 of 8

8 photos:What's a pansexual?

Hide Caption

3 of 8

8 photos:What's a pansexual?

Hide Caption

4 of 8

Story highlights

A growing number of women and men label themselves as bisexual compared with previous years

As awareness about bisexuality has grown over the years, it could be getting easier for people to label themselves as bisexual, said Debby Herbenick, associate professor at Indiana University and author of the book "Sex Made Easy," who was not involved in the study.

Researchers asked more than 9,000 people in the United States age 18 to 44 about the types of sexual experiences they have had, whether they are attracted to the same or opposite sex and whether they identify as being straight, gay/lesbian or bisexual. Interviews were conducted between 2011 and 2013 as part of the CDC's National Survey of Family Growth.

Many of the findings about sexual behavior, attraction and orientation were similar between the current survey and the previous (2006-2010) family growth survey. Similar to previous surveys the group conducted, 1.3% of women and 1.9% of men said they were homosexual.

However a few trends stood out. More women reported having had sexual contact with other women: 17.4% in the current survey compared with 14.2% in the 2006-2010 survey. And higher numbers of both women and men identified as bisexual, 5.5% of women and 2% of men, compared with 3.9% and 1.2% respectively in the last survey.

"It's certainly not a new idea that women and men may be attracted to more than gender," Herbenick said. "But that doesn't mean it's an easy orientation to adopt. Women and men who self-identify as bisexual experience stigma not just from heterosexuals but also homosexuals," she said.

The finding that women were more likely than men to say they were bisexual is consistent with what previous studies have found, said Casey E. Copen, demographer at the CDC National Center for Health Statistics and lead author of the study, which was published on Thursday.

Women were also more likely than men to report having same-sex sexual contact. Compared with 17.4% of women, only 6.2% of men said they had ever had this activity.

However, as Copen noted, the survey could have given women more opportunity than men to report same-sex sexual contact. For example, women were asked if they have engaged in oral sex or any other sexual experience with another woman, whereas men were asked specifically whether they have engaged in oral or anal sex with another man.

The wording of questions in the survey could also be part of the reason for the low number of men who said they were gay, Copen said. Other surveys have found that closer to 4% to 6% say they are gay, a higher proportion than the 1.9% in the current survey.

Among women who reported being lesbian, the rate of 1.3% is consistent with other surveys. Over the last several decades, fewer women have been saying they are lesbian and more report being bisexual, similar to what the current study found, Herbenick said.

There is high correspondence between how survey participants identified themselves -- whether straight, gay/lesbian or bisexual -- and the sexual attractions and behaviors they reported, Copen said. For example, among those who labeled themselves heterosexual, 12.6% of women and 2.8% of men had had sexual contact with the same sex.

"You do expect some differences, because for some people ... they may or may not have had the experiences they're contemplating, [especially] if they're younger," Copen said.

The survey found some differences between women of different racial groups. Only 11.2% of Hispanic women have engaged in same-sex sexual contact compared with 19.6% of white women and 19.4% of black women.

The next survey, covering 2014 and 2015, will be coming out this fall, Copen said. These surveys are important to allow researchers "to separate out and study these categories, like lesbian and bisexual women and gay and bisexual men, because they all have different health outcomes and different levels of access to health care," she said.

Understanding trends in sexual behavior and orientation can help health groups and programs reach at-risk populations, Herbenick said. For example, putting information about sexually transmitted infections in a gay bar may only reach men who identify as being gay, and miss men who have sex with men but do not identify as being gay.

"There are real effects when you find out what people are doing sexually that can translate into safer sex, sex education, (and) informing doctors and nurses (about) what people are doing so they can talk with them in more informed and compassionate ways," Herbenick said.

Michel Saloff-Coste has been passionate about technological, economic and social stakes in going from the industrial society to the information society for 20 years now. He works at the crossroads of management, strategy and communication into the future evolution of humanity.

He is devoted to better understanding of the major transformation vectors that metamorphosize our civilization.

How can individuals, companies, countries and the planet join together in a viable, harmonious future?

How can we build learning organizations and implement knowledge management?

Michel Saloff-Coste led monthly meetings at the assessment and future evolution center of the French Ministry of Research and Technology, and was consultant and research director for the Bossard Consulting Group which is now Cap Gemini Arthur Andersen Consulting.

He is currently President of MSC ET ASSOCIES, a research and consulting firm specialized in Management, Strategy and Communication :

In this framework, he advises numerous management teams of international companies.

He is initiator and board member of the capital risk company New Cap Invest.

He is teaching at the Centre de Recherches et d'Etude des Chefs d'Entreprises (CRC) of HEC, a research and development center for company managers;

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Le management systémique de la complexité (literally : The Systemic Complexity Management) published by Aditech Ministère de la Recherche, 1990, reprinted under the title Le management du troisième millénaire (literally : Management of the Third Millenium), published by Guy Trédaniel in 1991 and reprinted 1999 .

Les horizons du futur published by Guy Trédaniel in 2001.

"My objective is to make a wide number of people aware of the major societal transformations that we are going to live through so that everyone can get prepared and seize all possible opportunities by positively participating in building the future civilization".

LINES OF INTERVENTION

What are the major tendencies that transform development of our civilization at planetary level?

What changes are needed in companies in terms of cultural, management, system and structure?

How is your line of business going to change in the context of the information society?